Minerals

Question 1

anion

Answer 1

A negatively charged ion.

Question 2

atomic mass

Answer 2

The sum of an element’s protons and neutrons.

Question 3

atomic number

Answer 3

The number ofo protons in the nucleus of an atom.

Question 4

bedding

Answer 4

The formation of parallel layers of sediment as particles settle to bottom of the sea, rive or land surface.

Question 5

biological sediment

Answer 5

A sediment that forms near its place of deposition as a result of mineral precipitation within organisms as they grow.

Question 6

cation

Answer 6

A postiviely charge ion.

Question 6

chemical sediments

Answer 6

The dissolved product of weathering precipitated from water by chemical reactions and fomed at or near its place of deposition.

Question 7

cleavage

Answer 7

(1) The tendency of crystal to break along flat planar surfaces (2) The geometric pattern produced by such breakage.

Question 8

color

Answer 8

A property of a mineral imparted by light – either transmitted through or reflected by crystals, irregular masses or a streak.

Question 9

contact metamorphism

Answer 9

Changes in the mineralogy and texture of rock resulting from the heat and pressure in a small area, such as the rocks near and in contact with an igneous intrustion.

Question 10

covalent bond

Answer 10

A bond between atoms in which the outer electrons are shared..

Question 11

crystal

Answer 11

An ordered 3D array of atoms in which the basic arrangement is repeated in all directions.

Question 12

crystal habit

Answer 12

The shape in which a mineral’s individual crystals or aggregates of crystals grow.

Question 13

density

Answer 13

The mass per unit volume of a substance, commonly expressed in grams per cubic centimeter.

Question 14

electron sharing

Answer 14

The mechanism by which a covalent bond is formed between the elements in a chemical reaction.

Question 15

electron transfer

Answer 15

The mechanism by which an ionic bond is formed between the elements in a chemical reaction.

Question 15

erosion

Answer 15

The set of processes that loosen soila nd rock and move them downhill or downstream where they are deposited as layers of sediment.

Question 16

fracture

Answer 16

The tendency of a crystal to break alon girregular surfaces other than cleavage planes.

Question 17

hardness

Answer 17

A measure of the ease with with the surface of a mineral can be scratched.

Question 18

hydrothermal solution

Answer 18

A hot solution formd around bodies of molten rock when circulating groundwater comes into contact with hot intrusion, reacts with it and carries off significant quantities of elements and ions released by the reaction. These elements and their ions then interact with one another to deposit ore minerals, usually as the fluid cools.

Question 19

igneous rock

Answer 19

A rock formed by the solidification of a magma before or after it reaches the surface.

Question 19

ionic bond

Answer 19

A bond between atoms formed by electrical attraction ebtween ions of the opposite charge.

Question 20

isotope

Answer 20

One of two or more species of atoms of the same atomic number that have differing atomic masses.

Question 21

lithification

Answer 21

The process that converts sediments into solid rock by compaction or cementation.

Question 22

luster

Answer 22

The way in which the surface of a mineral reflects light to produce the shine of its surface described by such subjective terms as dull, glassy, or metallic.

Question 22

metallic bond

Answer 22

A covalent bond in which freely mobile electrons are shared and dispersed among ions of metallic elements, which have the tendency to lose electrons and pack together as cations.

Question 23

metamorphic rock

Answer 23

A rock formed by the trasnformation of preexisting solid rocks under the influence of high pressure and temperature.

Question 24

mineral

Answer 24

A naturally occurring, solid crystalline substance, generally inorganic with a specific chemical composition.

Question 25

mineralogy

Answer 25

(1) The branch of geology that studies the composition, strucutre, appearance, stabilitty, occurrence, and associations fo minerals. (2) The relative proporition of a rock's constituent minerals.

Question 26

mohs scale of hardness

Answer 26

An empirical, ascending scae of mineral hardness based on the ability of one mineral to scratch another .

Question 26

ore

Answer 26

A mineral deposit from which valuale metals can be recovered profitably.

Question 27

polymorph

Answer 27

One of two or more alternativve possible crystal structures for a single chemical compound; for example the minerals quartz and cristobalite are polymorphs of silica.

Question 28

precipitate

Answer 28

(1) To drop out of a saturated solution as crystals (2) The crystals that drop out of a saturated solution.

Question 29

regional metamorphism

Answer 29

Metamorphism caused by high pressures and temperatures that extend over large regions, as happen where plates collide.

Question 30

rock

Answer 30

A naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or in some cases nonmineral solid matter.

Question 31

rock cycle

Answer 31

The set of geologic processes that convert each type of rock into the other two types. NEED MORE HERE

Question 32

sediment

Answer 32

A material deposited at Earth's surface by physical agenst (wind, water, ice) chemical agents (precipitation) or biological agents (organisms).

Question 32

sedimentary rock

Answer 32

A rock formed as the burial product of layers of sediments (sand, mud, calcium carbonate), whether they were laid down on the land or under the sea.

Question 33

siliclastic sediments

Answer 33

Clastic sediment produced by the weathering of rocks composed largely of silicate minerals.

Question 34

specific gravity

Answer 34

The weight of a mineral in air divided by the weight of an equal volume of pure water at 4degree celsius.

Question 35

streak

Answer 35

The color of the fine deposit of mineral dust left on an abrasive surface, such as the tile of unglazed porcelain, when a mineral is scraped across it.

Question 36

texture

Answer 36

The sizes and shapes of a rock's mineral crystals and the way they are put together.

Question 37

vein

Answer 37

A sheetlike deposit of mineral precipitated in fractures or joints that are foreign to the host rock.

Question 38

weathering

Answer 38

The general process that breaks up rocks into fragments of various sizes by a combination of physical fracturing and chemical decomposition.